We shot 31.8% and lost. What did you expect? How may times does a team shoot that low of a percentage and win? Never. Well, 21 times in NBA history to be exact, but that’s just semantics. The Raptors were engaged in this game from start to finish, and the physical effort level was solid on both ends. In key moments, though, the offense was left wanting and the defense failed.

This game can be summed up in one stat: three-point shooting. The Raptors shot 5-28 from three which is good for 18%. The Grizzlies were actually worse, they shot 14% except the difference is that they were 1-7. They knew when to pass on something when it wasn’t working and the Raptors, because of their recently fractured offense didn’t know what else to turn to. That one three Memphis did make was a case of Kyle Lowry begging Mike Conley Jr. to ice the game by playing some horrific Hardenesque defense. BTW, follow us on Vine and Instagram for more game clips.

Memphis is a team that knows what their strengths are. They’re 20th in the league in three-point percentage, and 29th in the league at attempting threes so they don’t rely on it, and they don’t need to since they have an established interior game. The Raptors at the halfway mark of the season still haven’t found a balance on the court where they can switch up their look, and this game was a prime example of just how one-dimensional their offense can be.

I think Dwane Casey may not have thought through the matchups tonight, because with Greivis Vasquez starting ahead of Ross, Memphis switched Mike Conley Jr. on Vasquez, Tony Allen on Kyle Lowry, and Jeff Green on DeMar DeRozan. So DeRozan ended up being guarded by a bigger defender, while Lowry ended up being matched up with their best defender! I’m not saying Ross would’ve made a world of a difference, but at least you would’ve forced Memphis (who I presume would’ve put Green on Ross at the three-spot) to have a think on which one of DeRozan or Lowry to put a great defender like Alllen on. Instead, Casey made it plain and simple for them and unwittlingly helped them matchup their two best defenders against our two best offensive players. FACEPALM!

The Raptors were in this game for two reasons. First, Memphis is not a good three-point shooting team which means the Raptors can get away with murder on defense. The Raptors love to trap, collapse, and then rotate, which they are free to do against Memphis since they can’t make them pay. So, off the Raptors defense went trying to swipe at Randolph and Gasol, drop down and disrupt their screens designed to free up wings for short jumpers or passes to bigs underneath. The Raptors had a lot of success here, and they ended up forcing Memphis into 1-4 clearouts for Randolph against Valanciunas, which the Raptors defense couldn’t help on and ended up paying the price since Randolph delivered. You might’ve heard Matt Devlin and Leo Rautins go on and on about how the Raptors defense had “showed up” without mentioning this key detail – this matchup perfectly suits the style the Raptors defense is designed to slow down.

Second, the Raptors rebounded the basketball which offset some of that shooting. Patrick Patterson, who is now just a taller, blacker version of Jason Kapono on offense, is making a real effort to help out on the boards. Casey’s featuring of him alongside Tyler Hansbrough against the Pelicans saw both of them get overrun by Alexis Ajinca, and this time around Patterson was making the glass his first priority on defense. This was certainly helped with him not having to cover the full width of the court on defensive rotations since Gasol and Randolph never venture out that far, and he made the most of it by collecting 9 rebounds. On offense, 6 of his 7 shots were threes, and he went 1-6. Dwane Casey either doesn’t know how to manufacture points out of Patterson’s excellent mid-range game and off-the-ball movement, or he very strongly feels that Patterson is a player more closer to Channing Frye than Boris Diaw. In summary, the Raptors were +5 on the glass, and won the second-chance point duel 20-14 (they had 21 offensive rebounds). That is what kept them in it.

Of course, being in a game for a prolonged stretch is very different than actually winning it. When push came to shove and the fourth quarter started with the Raptors up 1, Memphis went to Gasol and Randolph in isolation situations and they delivered combining for 17 points on 6/8 shooting – everything going towards the rim. The Raptors big guns? They kept running predictable action where you knew it was just to get Lowry a couple of feet of space, at which point he’d go into hero-mode which works far less frequently than it used to because 1) teams know it’s coming, and 2) he’s usually driving into contact and the refs aren’t buying it. In the fourth, the Raptors and their jump-shooters featuring Lowry, Vasquez, Williams, and Ross shot 5-19. DeRozan didn’t even attempt a shot in 7 minutes of action because Memphis had him covered and there was nothing on Dwane Casey’s clipboard that could free up arguably our most efficient fourth quarter player (although he was struggling on the night). Memphis prevented DeRozan from catching his dribble-handoffs, and pushed him further out so in essence he had to start every touch in a face-up than going with momentum towards the rim.

I thought Terrence Ross and James Johnson’s minutes management was bizarre. Ross came in with six minutes left in the first and left 30 seconds into the second, contributing nothing. At this point I assumed his night was done, but Casey called on him at the 3 minute mark of the third and he didn’t leave the game till almost the 3 minute mark of the fourth. He played a full crunch time quarter and did nothing, while James Johnson rode the pine the entire second half and played a total of 8 minutes. Was Johnson’s 8-minute spell so much worse than Ross’s first-half stint, that Johnson (our best driver of the ball at the three) can’t even get a sniff? This is a guy who has played hard and played smart all season long and relishes a physical challenge, which is the exact opposite of Ross. I get that Casey was trying to spread the court, but at some point maybe you should abandon the three (Raptors were 3-10 3FG in the fourth) and go for something else.

You can insert the general Jonas Valanciunas misuse comment here, after going 3-4 FG for 6 points in the first quarter, he took 4 shots the rest of the game. I get that he was being touched up by Randolph, despite Casey trying to give Randolph and Gasol different looks (fronts, ball-denial, showing help, doubling on the dribble). Does that excuse not establishing an interior game through him? Even the Memphis announcers (great crew, BTW) were infatuated with Valanciunas and perplexed why he wasn’t being used more. I don’t buy the argument that this guy freezes up in the fourth quarter, it’s more that his management has been so bad that the fourth quarter his now become a stigma for him and everyone involved psychologically. Yeah, he tries to look tougher than he probably is and does get shaky at times, but let that not detract us from his actual basketball talent, which needs to be developed with far more diligence than it is.

My favorite Memphis broadcast tidbit was when Lou Williams took a hero-ball end of quarter shot and missed, which prompted them to drop this gem (live call can be seen here): “That is kind of an odd possession, to just hold it and put up a 27-footer. We’ll take it. Lou Williams, with the three-point miss!” So relax Raptors fans, you’re not the only people who think that’s crazy.

DeMar DeRozan had a poor shooting game, ended up going 2-11 and played 33 minutes. Somewhere here there’s a double-standard issue with how Valanciunas, Ross, and James Johnson are on short leashes, but DeRozan gets away with doing all the things that get others benched. Let me be clear, I’m not advocating benching DeRozan, I’m advocating being fair to everyone else as well. This sort of personnel management is what ends up losing the lockerroom, and with the Raptors now firmly in a funk, the last thing we can afford is a chemistry implosion.

Coaches tend to get vilified when specific decisions they make go south (Vasquez guarding Evans), and they don’t get enough credit when their tweaks actually work (Ross coming off the bench in Milwaukee). I get he’s done some smart things this year, and has always gotten good effort out of the squad. With due respect to him, I don’t think I’m jumping the gun or being overly reactionary when I say we’re a very unorganized group on offense, and as discussed on the podcast, making large scale change mid-season is very difficult. So Dwane Casey’s hoping that the problem lies in the execution, not the plan. Let’s hope he’s right because evidence thus far has been to the contrary.

Jonas Valanciunas, C29 MIN | 4-8 FG | 4-4 FT | 10 REB | 0 AST | 1 STL | 1 BLK | 1 TO | 12 PTS | -9 +/-Did all he could against Randolph, who hit a litany of tough shots. Had a few defensive slip-ups, but deserved the minutes he got. Looked a little winded in the second half after playing relentlessly in the first half. Didn’t get any looks in the post, which is understandable given the Grizzlies’ frontcourt. Scrapped and fought for a few putbacks.

Kyle Lowry, PG40 MIN | 7-23 FG | 4-7 FT | 8 REB | 3 AST | 2 STL | 1 BLK | 3 TO | 20 PTS | -1 +/-Suffered a dislocated finger in his shooting hand in the first quarter and had no jumper for most of the first half. But he fought hard to push the issue on offense, sacrificing his body on reckless drives. Don’t buy too much into the assist numbers. The Raptors offense was solely designed for Lowry to isolate. No movement, no solid screen setting, nothing. That’s on Casey.

Greivis Vasquez, PG22 MIN | 1-8 FG | 1-2 FT | 2 REB | 3 AST | 2 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 3 PTS | -6 +/-He couldn’t shoot. At least four of his missed three’s were open. Moved the basketball well and had a few drives into the lane, but he lacked the finish on his floaters. Had a decent showing defensively in the first quarter before settling into his usual level of unspeakably terrible on-ball defense.

James Johnson, PF8 MIN | 0-0 FG | 0-0 FT | 1 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 1 BLK | 0 TO | 0 PTS | 0 +/-Wasn’t very effective when he played as he failed to generate any headway on drives to the basket. Looked like his recent benching took all the piss out of him. Played passively, which was a first this season.

Terrence Ross, SF18 MIN | 0-3 FG | 0-0 FT | 4 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 1 BLK | 0 TO | 0 PTS | -1 +/-Yeah…he couldn’t make a discernable impact on either end of the floor. Bricked a few ill-advised jumpers with the second unit, which really doesn’t suit him. He needs to be set up to be effective offensively and the second unit is pretty much everyone fend for themselves.

Louis Williams, SG24 MIN | 6-15 FG | 7-7 FT | 3 REB | 2 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 2 TO | 21 PTS | -2 +/-He came out gunning. It worked to start, jumpstarting the offense with a few made three’s, but the Grizzlies eventually figured out that he only ever sways over to his left and started to play him away from where he was most comfortable. The shooting line doesn’t look great, but he was a source of much-needed offense. Wasn’t too hot defensively, but that’s nothing new.

Dwane Casey
Hard to critique without being unfair. He got the defense to clamp down, which is huge, but drew up nothing on offense. I love grit-and-grind as much as anyone, but the offense was simply to hand the ball to Lowry and to watch him kill himself trying to piece something out of nothing. It’s on Casey to draw something up. The James Johnson thing is still fishy.

Five Thing We Saw

Back to the James Johnson thing. There must be more to the story that the Raptors aren’t letting on. Casey said it wasn’t a personal issue, but slashing the 5th-most productive player’s minutes to zilch, when the wing rotation is in tatters, would otherwise be insane. Something is up.

It was a frustrating and ugly game to watch, but it’s encouraging that the Raptors were able to keep it close for 40 minutes on the road against the battle-tested Grizzlies. Valanciunas and Amir Johnson tried their best, but the Grizzlies’ bigs eventually proved too much. It sucks, but it’s an encouraging showing for what had been a terribly inept defense to date.

The Raptors can’t afford for DeRozan to be invisible. It just cannot happen. It was always going to be a tough matchup for him, but DeRozan needs to find a way to impact the game when his usual schtick isn’t working. I’d rather he press the issue and fail, then to disappear altogether. That’s what stars do. They can’t fade.

This game was reminiscent of last year’s playoff series against the Nets in its tight and physical nature. The biggest takeaway should be that the Raptors’ offense needs to find a way to be effective. Someone else needs to bridge the gap between the bigs in the post, and the wings on the perimeter. It can’t just be Lowry. It can’t. He’s getting driven into the ground at this rate.

Just for the record, I am not on the camp that wants to fire Casey. I appreciate that he’s done a great deal of good with the franchise. He’s instilled a culture of hard work and the team. He gets a lot out of the players. Consider Lowry for example: He’s never played harder for any other coach. These pointers and grades aren’t a veiled “shot” at Casey. I’m not so jaded as to call for his job because he’s earned far more rope than this. But the team does have a lot of holes, some of which is up to Casey to fill.

]]>http://www.raptorsrepublic.com/2015/01/21/reaction-raptors-grizzlies/feed/430Raptors wow Vince Carter and the Grizzlieshttp://www.raptorsrepublic.com/2014/11/20/raptors-wow-vince-carter-grizzlies/
http://www.raptorsrepublic.com/2014/11/20/raptors-wow-vince-carter-grizzlies/#commentsThu, 20 Nov 2014 15:37:07 +0000http://www.raptorsrepublic.com/?p=48289Vince and the crowd come to a touching catharsis as Terrence Ross goes off in the 4th quarter to lift the Dinos over the Grizz.

Three things happened last night that would have seemed all but impossible a mere 18 months ago. First, the Raptors honoured Vince Carter with a video tribute in a moment that brought tears to Vince’s eyes and felt like it genuinely mended the past between the Air Canada Centre fans and the former hero they once called ‘Air Canada.’ Second, the Raptors got an impressive win over arguably the best team in the league thus far this season. Third and finally, the Raptors and their fans became engulfed in a derisive flame war on NBA Twitter that had nothing to do with Vince Carter, and everything to do with NBA fans and writers feeling like Raptors have gotten too big for their britches, sort-of-speak, and feeling compelled in turn to argue how this does not prove that the Raptors are definitely title contenders. Last year’s poo poo platter of an NBA roster in Philadelphia beat the Miami Heat in the early season, before setting the all-time record for consecutive losses, so I would have believed at least the second item of the previous list to be possible if prognosticated a year and a half ago to me. But the first and third would have seemed comically far away. But now here we are, cool with Vince, battling for first place in the NBA and being argued about in the spotlight about whether or not we’re contenders and mocked for believing too much in our team. This is completely new, completely fantastic territory.

Putting that narrative aside, let’s get to what we saw last night.

It turns out that James Johnson has been just as big of a presence on the bench unit as we all thought he was. Landry Fields got four minutes of run in his stead and the audition all but definitely won’t be getting him the part in Casey’s ten man rotation. The 5-man bench unit had some of their least effective run together last night, especially in the first half. Vasquez unleashed a trio of shots at one point that each refused to have contact with the rim: an air-ball attempt from 3, a floater that bonked off the side of the backboard and a banked-in 3 pointer that, as much as we might mock, represents ¾ of the Raptors margin of victory. Tyler Hansbrough fell hard on his shoulder again last night, taking him out of the game. Valanciunas got some 2nd quarter minutes with the bench unit in a game where he struggled to contain Z-Bo and Marc Gasol, who went for 18 and 18, and 22 and 12 respectively. Those two are a nightmare for any big man, which is to say that that’s exactly what they were for Jonas as well. The best way to contextualize the Raptors awful 2nd quarter is to bring up how the basketball artist formerly known as Prince(Tayshaun) drove casually past his man, through the lane and dunked on Valanciunas. There’s never been a reason to be proud of that happening, but if this was 2005, there at least wouldn’t be as much reason for embarrassment. In 2014, when Tayshaun Prince’s offensive game is barely a whisper, that can’t happen. He shot 6 of 8.

It’s not surprising that the Raptors struggled offensively against the grit and grind Grizzlies for much of the game last night. Gasol seemed to scare the Raptors out of the protected area. DeMar didn’t have to face Tony Allen or Courtney Lee, as both were out with a virus, but he struggled instead with himself. DeMar forced his game at times last night, scrambling with the ball, forcing long jumpers before the end of the shot clock and fishing for free throws on pump fake jump shots that just weren’t being called. He battled through, put up 21 points and finally started finding his way to the rim in the 4th quarter. But the Grizzlies were able to take away his efficiency by only sending him to the line twice.

This game, as with any other impressive win the Raptors have had against a top opponent the past two seasons, came down to the 4th quarter. It turns out that the Raptors are kind of great in the 4th. You might have heard a little something about this trend mentioned somewhere between once and a hundred times in between Matt Devlin and Leo Rautins playful flirtations on Raptors broadcasts. It’s a thing. And so is the Raptor’s play in the 4th. The Raptors defense in the 4th quarter locked in, and did so last night with some uncommon lineups. Chuck Hayes, brick wall extraordinaire, had his number called, and he played great. Post defense is tough, especially against freight trains like Z-Bo and skilled 7-footers like Gasol. Hayes gives up at least 4 inches to both players, but did a great job against both. Hayes forced Gasol into taking some very difficult turn around jumpers that, just because he looked like Dirk in hitting, doesn’t mean he wasn’t very well defended. Defense in the post is all about quickly shuffling your feet into position, taking away space and staying on your feet. There are people who can do this well. The reason why Hayes can guard low post big men so much more effectively than others is because while doing those things well, Hayes is also impossible to shoulder out of the way or back down in the process. Gasol threw shoulder after shoulder into Chuck’s chest, turning from side to side in an attempt to widdle his way into the low post. He didn’t budge an inch. Marc Gasol is around 280 lbs.! Hayes kept his ground and maintained his footwork, challenging every shot or fake without jumping. This should be appreciated.

Hayes wasn’t alone with his 4th quarter defense, as Amir Johnson’s hobbled ankles allowed him ten minutes of his best basketball so far. Amir played important minutes on Gasol, cut inside off of a screen for a crucial late basket, blocked Z-Bo at the rim late and was perhaps the only Raptor last night to understand the importance of boxing out and rebounding.

The Raptor’s biggest basket of the 4th quarter, unsurprisingly, was a beautiful layup from Kyle Lowry. Lowry drove hard, twisting his body around the Grizzly defender in place to draw the charge and dropped in the highlight reel layup. What was surprising about the 4th quarter offense was Terrence Ross taking over. I don’t know what got in to the young man, but he had a confidence in his game and a swagger in his step that we haven’t seen this season. Ross drained 3s off the dribble and in the face of defenders. He drove to the basket. He was taking alpha dog ‘I got this’ shots and drilling them, putting up 14 4th quarter points. Maybe he did it for his hero, Vince. Maybe he did it for himself. Maybe he did it for Lisa Ann. I don’t know, and I don’t care, but god damn do I want to see him do it again.

It’s a stretch to say that the Raptors proved their title contention in last night’s win over Memphis. Yes, the Grizzlies were without two key starters in Tony Allen and Courtney Lee and missing multiple bench guys as well. But guess what, injuries and illness happen in the playoffs too. One game of the regular season should never been seen as a macrocosm of who any one team is or what they’re ultimately capable of either way. You’d be a fool to discount this game or argue it as a sign of a forthcoming Larry O’Brien trophy. It was an important, quality win over a very good Grizzlies team. I feel good about this game, I feel good about Vince Carter, and I feel great about this team. Nobody needs to worry about May and June. That’s more than enough for now. Who’s up next?

Memphis arrives in Toronto with an NBA best 10-1 record on the heels of a rout of Houston. Timing is everything in sports and unfortunately the offensive explosion by the Grizzlies over the Rockets came at the worst possible time for the Raptors.

While Toronto has been idle since defeating Utah on Saturday the Memphis game versus Houston seemingly offered Toronto a small advantage. Unfortunately Memphis jumped out to an early lead en route to a Rocket thrashing allowing all their starters rest and simultaneously provided critical minutes for their bench who capitalized by appearing to finally gel. Prior to Monday the Grizzlies bench has been arguably their main weakness having been outscored in all but four of their eleven games.

More worrisome and disappointing for the home team will be the absence of James Johnson thanks to a severely twisted ankle courtesy of a camera woman’s annoyingly close placement to the end line. Any hopes we had of James Johnson being available were obliterated when Johnson was observed wearing an air cast Tuesday. Further compelling this frustration is Johnson historically has his best games facing former teams.

It may seem odd to place so much importance on one player’s absence given the new depth of the Raptors, but James Johnson has arguably been the second best player (sometimes best) on court through the Raptors 8-2 start.

With another test waiting in Cleveland this weekend the added pressure to win rests on the East’s top team who has yet to convince some pundits their record is more than favorable scheduling.

To that end, you might find the comparison of these two teams surprising; while I assumed Memphis would have huge advantages, analysis of their stats highlight two teams with virtually not much separating them.

Strength of Schedule:
Toronto has definitely benefitted from the unusually high number of home games to start the year and the caliber of talent they’ve faced. However their strength of schedule listed on ESPN.com as .483% is literally only one percentage point higher than Memphis who is listed at .482%.
Through the first 10-games of each team their opponents’ records are eerily similar:

Toronto: 47-61

Memphis: 42-66

Note: for comparison sake I omitted the Houston game which would push Memphis’ numbers to 51-68

Points For/Points Against:Toronto:

1060 total points scored – 106.0 per game

964 total points against – 96.4 per game

Point differential of +9.6

Memphis:

1083 total points scored – 98.4 per game

1006 total points against – 91.4 per game

Point differential of +7

Note: Memphis’ numbers prior to the Houston game were: 96.4, 91.3 and + 5.1, so the win vs. Houston saw their numbers jump in offense and point differential by 2 points in their average.

The crux of tonight’s match-up on paper comes down to the slimmest of margins between the Raptors offensive advantage per 100 possessions: +3.7 versus the Grizzlies defensive advantage -3.5 per 100 possessions.

Toronto plays at a quicker pace (+2.7 possessions per 48-minutes) than Memphis who will try to grind the Raptors into a slower pace.

Examining the intangible factors once again Toronto has the edge on the offensive side and Memphis has the edge on the defensive side.

Note: The chart links take you directly to NBA.com, unfortunately the charts appear too small when copied as pictures

Positional Break Down:

Guards: Kyle Lowry/DeMar DeRozan vs. Mike Conley/Tony Allen

Conley is arguably the most under rated point guard in the league and very adept at controlling pace, but this type of game is one Lowry has prepared for all summer. Expect Lowry to come out with that look in his eye with the goal of energizing the defense and getting everyone involved on offense early especially Valanciunas and Ross.

DeRozan faces another defensive specialist in Allen however DeRozan’s ability to create off the dribble should tip the scale in his favor especially if his shot is falling early which will open the lanes for everyone. Historically Allen has played DeRozan tough holding him to some of his poorest scoring performances, however last season it appeared DeRozan was beginning to figure out Allen scoring 16 and 18 points respectively in the series.

Edge Raptors: Though Memphis will clog the paint the tenacity of Lowry will be the difference

Lee has been off to a blistering start shooting 56.6% from the field and 62.1% from behind the arc, so Ross will have his hands full. Ross has been steadily improving on the offensive end actually hitting the same number (2) of three’s as Lee per game. The key will be for Ross to keep Lee busy on the offensive end and to take the challenge of limiting him on the defensive end.

Without James Johnson available Amir Johnson will need to forget about his ankles and have one of his prototypical nights we’ve become accustomed to. Cagey vet Randolph defies all logic by his ability to pull in rebounds and score with equal aplomb while defying anti-gravity by barely ever jumping.

Valanciunas will best be served by remembering what the older Gasol brother did less than a week ago at the ACC and channel his effort from Saturday versus another European. Last year Valanciunas had two games at opposite ends of the spectrum vs. Memphis initially scoring 4 points with 7 rebounds and in the second excelling with 23 points and 9 rebounds. Gasol is already being cited as a potential MVP candidate and for good reason. Last season Memphis sputtered when he was injured, but his return ignited them to one of the best second half records. Gasol is arguably the best passing center and he captains the best defense of the Association.

Edge Grizzlies: This has the makings of an all out battle under the rim especially if Valanciunas and Johnson can utilize their younger bodies to protect the rim and take the battle to the grind house front court of the Grizzlies.

Prior to James Johnson’s injury the Raptors had a distinct advantage in this area. While Memphis’ bench has only outscored their opponent four out of eleven games the Raptors in contrast had done so in all but one game. Besides, the thought of seeing a psyched up Johnson was ever so appealing.

Through the first 10-games our hockey line bench has scored an average of 35.9 points per game with a plus 10.1 point differential and our lowest scoring night was 27 points. In contrast Memphis’ bench averages 29.6 points per game with a negative 4.7 point differential and their lowest scoring night was 10 points.

The non-game related question regarding Memphis’ bench will center on how the ACC crowd responds to Vince Carter. A special film tribute scheduled to occur sometime during the first quarter will hopefully quell the boo birds who fairly have that right, but entering our twentieth anniversary this young franchise needs to start embracing and showcasing our history. Regardless of whether you like him or not, Vince Carter is the defining star of this young franchise. Personally, I can’t imagine recalling the franchise early years without referencing his historic slam dunk win or the associated pride many of us felt when it occurred.

Edge Raptors: Even without Johnson available the numbers are just too strong in Toronto’s favor. This would be the ideal night for Vasquez to break out of his slump and replicate his effort vs. Memphis from a season ago: 17 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals and 3 of 5 from three.

Memphis will be looking to avenge the 2-losses the Raptors served up last season: 103-87 and 99-86 while the Raptors will look to make their own statement by continuing their current win streak vs. the Grizzlies. For this to occur Toronto should look to take advantage via their bench and potential three-point prowess which were keys to their success last season when the Raptors held Memphis below 28.6% and 25% respectively from three while they shot over 50% on both occasions. The boards will also play a big factor as whoever controls them will have the distinct advantage.

The odds makers have the Raptors favored by 2.5 points with an over/under of 194.

I’m antsy to make a call on this one in lieu of jinxing them but my gut says Memphis is due for a loss and the Raptors want to prove their mettle so I’ll predict a close game with the Raptors taking the win via a typical dominate fourth quarter.

As for Dwane Casey’s statement he won’t be making snow angels whether the Raptors win or lose – not to be contrary, but if Toronto manages to hand the NBA best Memphis squad just their second loss I’ll be the first to don my parka and make an angel, snow or not!

Enjoy the game and be sure to check back here for the post game quick react.

Arguably there is no greater disparity between two Raptor players than James Johnson and Landry Fields. One has physical gifts and natural athleticism and one has high game I.Q. and a solid locker room demeanor.

About the only thing they have in common is each has been challenged by external burdens. Both enter this season with the goal of overcoming their encumbrance to carve out a niche in order to sustain a prolonged NBA career.

On the surface that goal looks far easier for Johnson to achieve given his affliction centered on his inability to accept a role within a team whereas Fields is contending with a physical limitation in an expiring contract year.

This article marks the wrap-up of our player preview series as we gear up for the season. My focus will primarily be on Johnson as Blake’s wonderful article on Fields pretty much covered the bases.

Landry Fields:

2013-14:
It’s fair to say Fields had the worst season of his 4-year career stemming from the ulnar nerve injury and subsequent two surgeries to repair it. Though his 3-point shot is shelved due to the nerve issues, the greater concern I have is his hesitation to shoot at all. In the rare moments we saw him on court (322 minutes total last season) he brought his defensive intensity, but on the offensive end his reluctance to shoot or perhaps lack of confidence took a toll on the Raptors’ offensive flow.

Outlook 2014-15:
Expect to see Fields utilized in short stints off the bench specifically as a defensive stopper or to add energy. Ross is likely to see his minutes increase and Vasquez will surely be utilized in late game situations in tandem with Lowry. With the additions of Williams and Johnson it’s hard to envision Fields racking up any significant or consistent presence on court.

Potentially the area Fields can add his greatest value will be in practice sessions. Accepting this role to help prepare the team for opponents and stewarding youngster Bruno Caboclo may in fact be the greatest benefit he can bring to the table. The other more obvious benefit is the cap space which will be created via his expiring contract.

James Johnson:
With news the team had signed James Johnson to a 2-year contract this off season I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in speculating: what if. Looking back at the quandary behemoth Joe Johnson created for us in the playoffs it’s easy to speculate how much different the outcome of the series may have been with James Johnson on our roster. On the other hand some people were caught off guard by the signing as his abrupt exit came about due to issues stemming from malfeasance toward Coach Casey.

It’s easy to draw a line of similarities between James Johnson and Kyle Lowry; each felt they were not being utilized to their full potential and each garnered reputations for being difficult because of their frustrations in communicating that drive and passion. The difference is Lowry is a starter, a potential All Star and a point guard who is a leader on and off the court. Johnson though a physical specimen is better suited as a role player who offers multiple intangibles.

Following his departure from Toronto, Johnson spent time with Sacramento and Memphis and even a brief spell in the D League with the Rio Grande Vipers. The latter stint was pivotal in helping him mature and recognize that being a role player was an equally important position on any NBA team. He brought his new attitude to Memphis, and made the most of his opportunity which was instrumental in him earning a 2-year contract back with the team and coach who first pinpointed his talent as a defensive specialist.

Memphis is known for their grind house mentality and emphasis on defense. Marc Gasol won Defensive Player two seasons ago and Tony Allen is a perennial candidate. Yet it was James Johnson who led the Grizzlies in on court production with +5.5. (see chart as per 82games.com)

His plus/minus of +1.8 was only bested marginally by Conley and Randolph.

Outlook 2014-15:
Though Johnson experienced growth in Memphis, statistically his overall best season occurred during his first term in Toronto. Initially, he was a Casey favorite who earmarked him to be the team’s defensive specialist. Certainly his 258 lb, 6’8” frame offers a luxury the Raptors haven’t had coming off the bench arguably ever. Moreover, Johnson’s size while a huge asset is coupled with speed, a rarity that offers tangible benefits as he’s versatile enough to shut down virtually any opposing guard or forward.

Like Lowry before him, this season will be a testament to how far he has grown as a person and his ability to transfer his words into actions. If he falters don’t expect Coach Casey, GM Ujiri or the players to tolerate it. On the other hand should he bond with the existing Raptor clan he would form part of the most versatile benches in the Association. And, I can guarantee you who his assignment would be if we draw Brooklyn again this April.In a perfect world:

Landry Fields wakes up one morning to find his arm suddenly feeling normal again (you never know with nerve damage, it’s that unpredictable).

James Johnson reconnects with his inner child who loved playing the game of basketball for the pure joy of it and embraces his Raptor fraternity.

The average NBA career is 5-years; Johnson passed that milestone last season and Fields enters his fifth year this season. While both are looking to make their mark on the Raptors with an eye to the future, the reality is the progression of one will probably come at the expense of the other.

The irony is if we could meld these two players into one, we’d have the epitome of the perfect NBA role player. Perhaps a season spent together in close proximity on the bench will allow for a natural osmosis to occur. Stranger things have happened and after last year I’m not ruling anything out of the spectrum of possibility.

]]>http://www.raptorsrepublic.com/2014/10/03/player-preview-james-johnson-landry-fields/feed/9Raptors Grab Impressive Memphis Scalphttp://www.raptorsrepublic.com/2014/03/15/raptors-grab-impressive-scalp-memphis/
http://www.raptorsrepublic.com/2014/03/15/raptors-grab-impressive-scalp-memphis/#commentsSat, 15 Mar 2014 13:00:38 +0000http://www.raptorsrepublic.com/?p=42679It was a game as good as any this year as the Raptors beat Memphis in a playoff-type game at the ACC.

Even watching on mute you could feel the playoff atmosphere. This was a matchup I was wary of on account of the Grizzlies’ massive frontline and strong perimeter defense. Their strengths align with the Raptors’ weaknesses when it comes to frontline physicality, and they have the weapons to counter the Raptors’ strength on the perimeter. The only way the Raptors were going to win a game like this is through attrition, soaking the Memphis defensive pressure, and making an interior stand. They did all that and came away with, for me, the most impressive win of the season.

Memphis, right from the start, looked to exploit their advantage in the paint by creating situations for Marc Gasol that send him right down the middle, and through Zach Randolph in the face-up against Jonas Valanciunas. As has been customary, the PF/C switch was on with Valanciunas matching up against Randolph and Amir Johnson against Gasol. Those two were 6-10 for 12 points in the first quarter alone, and were the reason for Memphis’ early 14-6 points-in-the-paint edge, and a 13-8 rebounding advantage. The Raptors responded on two fronts, both charges led by Kyle Lowry. Lowry was superb in navigating pick ‘n roll play against a tight-checking Memphis defense through screens and setting up his bigs on easy rolls. His individual offense was headlined by an early three and a three-fake-foul where he nailed all his fouls shots.

The amount of touches Valanciunas received in the early going was surprising, considering the current defensive player of the year was guarding him. He did make the most of it though some one-on-one moves like hooks, but mostly he found himself on the tail end of a well-executed play to get his points. Let not some of his shaky fouls and turnovers stand out for you because that would shadow an otherwise excellent performance against a formidable frontline.

On the wings, DeMar DeRozan was being checked by Tayshaun Prince, while Terrence Ross was being guarded by Tony Allen. The Raptors duo were being funneled into Gasol and were settling for shooting over him, leading to sub par results. Memphis extended their 5-point first quarter lead to 9 in the second by, 1) forcing the Raptors into very tight spaces, 2) playing to their interior strengths on offense, 3) quick-penetration PG play which kept the Raptors wings on the tips of their toes. It looked like the Raptors were bending to break. Greivis Vasquez, sporty haircut and all, had other plans. He played the full second quarter and went 4-7 for 12 points, including two threes. The floater was happening and the pull-up surprise three was falling. Of course, all of his misses were cringeworthy to the extreme, but his offensive play buoyed the Raptors against a Memphis team that was highly organized and able to manufacture quality shots consistently.

Ross and DeRozan were a combined 1-8 in the first half, being effectively taken out of the game by Allen and Prince, respectively, so the Raptors have Valanciunas and Vasquez’s combined 26 points at the break to thank for being up three at the half. Ross did sprain his ankle, returned briefly before heading out.

The second quarter is where Dwane Casey experimented with different looks against Gasol, before settling on sending DeRozan as a help defender on Gasol’s dribble. DeRozan rotational defense was not good in this game, especially on down-screens where he’s responsible for rotating to the top. So it makes some sense for Casey to use him as the help leaving other, more able defenders, to figure out rotations.

The third quarter was about holding serve and both sides stuck to their strengths. The Grizzlies went to Kosta Koufos with good effect in the block, and the ensuing crashing of the boards netted them 16 points in the paint in the third alone, to the Raptors’ meager four. The Raptors, as they have time and time again this season, relied on the engine that is Kyle Lowry. From step-back threes to some gorgeous passing play with the bigs to the tune of four assists in the frame had the Raptors go into the fourth up four. The Memphis defense was so intent on meeting Lowry before he got to the paint, that a quick interior pass or two freed up Amir Johnson or Valanciunas on the baselines after they flashed. Johnson had two such assists to Valanciunas in the second half.

The dynamic of having Lowry play off the ball was also evident. His three-point shooting is a threat to the degree that when Vasquez is on the court, the floor is more open for pick ‘n roll opportunities. Lowry also doesn’t get enough credit for moving without the ball and eluding defenders to find himself room at the three. Dwane Casey, having tried creative lineups such as Chuck Hayes and Valanciunas together, had done well to reach the fourth quarter with a chance, and it was time to bring it home.

The lineup to start the fourth was Hayes, Salmons, Novak, DeRozan and Vasquez. The quarter got off to a horrid start with the offense looking a shambles and the Grizzlies going back inside. The modest four-point lead was erased in a matter of 79 seconds and the ensuing Raptors possession was not looking promising. Then the bail-out. The Raptors earned a reprieve when DeRozan was fouled on a deep, end-of-clock three which had no chance and drilled all his free throws.

Out-Memphising Memphis

“I don’t mean this in a bad way with Memphis because I love the style of defence that they play, but the only way you challenge a bully is you hit him first and I don’t think we did that in the first quarter,” said Raptors coach Dwane Casey. “You have to have a physical mentality against a team like that, and I thought our guys did that after the first quarter.

“It’s a man’s game in the paint. In that red area, if you don’t make a muscle, you’re going to get pushed around and I thought we did in the first quarter.”

The game remained tight with DeRozan hitting two jumpers and Lowry executing a pick ‘n roll with Johnson. The Grizzlies obliged by committing three turnovers in the midst of a very Gasol-oriented stretch, and the game was deadlocked with six minutes left. Vasquez, seemingly out of nowhere, changed the complexion of the game with a three, followed by a steal and score, giving the Raptors a five-point edge. Ironically, it was his defense, something he was maligned for earlier in the game against Nick Calathes, that created the separation that would eventually prove to be fatal for Memphis.

Memphis went very jumper-heavy for a two-minute stretch, which made little sense given the outcomes they were getting when going to their frontline. Lowry setup Valanciunas under the rim on a pick’ n roll and DeRozan nailed the dagger to extend the lead to ten, promptly staring down the Memphis bench. Tony Allen and Co. must have been talking some smack during the game for DeRozan to even consider pulling out theatrics. The great part of that play was the collective sigh that Amir Johnson passing up the three yielded.

For me, this was as impressive a game the Raptors have played. Jonas Valanciunas has to be given the game-ball as his 11-15 for 23 points against serious defense was entirely unexpected, Vasquez’s second and fourth quarter cameos provided the timely boosts, Lowry’s constant influence served as the ship’s rudder, and DeRozan’s dagger was the nail in the coffin.

Tremendous result, and the cherry on top is the Raptors out-rebounding Memphis by one. With the playoffs on the horizon, close games like these where you have to rely on defense, shot-making, and execution to win you games is the perfect preparation.

It’s an awful lot easier to win basketball games when your shots are going in. It’s even easier still when the other team is just plain bad. Those two stars aligned for the Raptors last night against the suddenly and shockingly terrible Memphis Grizzlies. The Raptors demonstrated some key improvement in a number of area’s that had been wanting so far this season in the process.

What worked:

– Consistent effort on the defensive side of the floor from all five players on the court. Particular praise on this point goes to Terrence Ross and Rudy Gay. Ross played his second consecutive game of active and engaged defence. With his length and athleticism, it should be very difficult for players to get clean shots against him, and last night it was. Gay played defence as if he was the only player on the court from last season’s Memphis Grizzlies team. Gay picked off 5 steals and turned most of those in to points, getting back to what could be a huge weapon for the Raps.

– The Fastbreak. I predicted that the Raptors would make a jump from the bottom 10 last season to the top 10 this season in fastbreak points per game. At 24th in the league with 10.6 points per game so far, not so much. But last night they got back to utilizing the potential that this young, long and fast lineup has there. The Raptors made turnovers (though Tony Allen was kind enough to simply give them several, as is his want) through defensive effort, and turned them in to points, almost doubling their season average in fastbreak points. Ross, DeRozan and Gay have the potential to be fastbreak scoring beasts, and it would be a tremendous boon to an offence that struggles to find creativity and efficiency.

– Kyle Lowry really seems to be settling in to his role with the team. He seems to have accepted that he will not be a ball dominant point guard on this team (even if a little more of that might be a good thing). His effort level and body language are much more positive than they were last year when Lowry was visibly displeased with this role. He’s quietly starting to lead the offence; directing play, calling out screens and pointing out open space for teammates to move in to when he doesn’t have the ball. Most strikingly so far, Lowry has figured out where the spacing of this offence will create open spot-up shots for him. Lowry is getting 2-3 wide-open looks from 3 around the mid-way point of the arc and he continues to knock down over 40% of them.

– Rudy Gay, passer of the ball. Gay was by means Chris Paul with the ball. But what he did do, especially in the first half of the game, was demonstrate what looked like a concerted effort to try and find his teammates in the flow of the offence. Hopefully, the fact that more of those passes than not turned in to points will mean that this effort continues. Passing is still something that you can tell Gay has to make an effort to remember in order to do. While he may never see the floor like a point guard, if he can put up a consistent 4 or 5 assists like this, I think we’ll all be happy to take it.

What didn’t work:

– The Memphis Grizzlies. Yuck. This is a slow and sloppy team. Marc Gasol looks exhausted, Z-Bo looks like Z-Bo, Tayshaun Prince is auditioning for the AMC’s ‘The Walking Dead’ and Tony Allen’s defence is not making up for how bad his offence is when the rest of the team is giving up buckets.

– Passes in to the post. Jonas was all but completely forgotten about on the offensive side of the ball last night. While it’s easy to say that it’s because Marc Gasol, reigning defensive player of the year was guarding him, that wasn’t really the cause. Gasol did not have a good game, and he wasn’t making a habit of bullying Valanciunas out of position either. The passes simply weren’t going down there. This has become a trend now. Casey seems to make a clear game-plan of dedicating a couple of the teams first 2 or 3 possessions every game to going to Jonas on the block. In hindsight, this is probably an effort just to make sure that he gets them at all. Jonas has a lot of work to do on his post game still, particularly in establishing his position closer to the basket, but he is a capable scorer from there and there is a lot of good offence to be found inside-out if he can make the defence collapse. This is being ignored by the ball-stopping perimeter play. What’s even more of a problem here though is that Valanciunas was visibly frustrated by this last night. Considering how much of an effort this team is relying on Jonas to run the floor, play tough defence, set screens and fight for rebounds, you do not want your heavy minutes big man and future of the franchise to resent his role or teammates. Worse still, it’s created a scenario where he’s likely to shoot it whether it’s a good look or not whenever he finally does get a post look, not knowing when he’ll get another chance.

– As primary ball-handlers, Rudy and DeMar running in to a double-team results in a “MUST SHOOT NOW!” mentality. They NEED to learn to consider that the double team you see means that one of your teammates is wide open right now, and it’s almost always Jonas or Amir rolling to the basket or presenting for a pass.

– The Raptors freelancing on defence is an issue. Yes, it was a much better defensive game, but some players are deciding to leave their man to double team on occasion, and not because of a system that calls for it. Lowry was the problem-maker with this last season, but so far has been much more disciplined. The guilty parties last night were Hansbrough and, as a repeat offender, DeMar, who has been abandoning his cover for disadvantageous double teams that leave his man wide open for easy perimeter shots. I like the idea of being enthusiastic on defence, but this actually does a lot more harm than help.

OK, let’s have a brief and rational conversation about Rudy Gay. This is possible, I swear. The Rudy Gay hate/humour dominated NBA twitter Tuesday night. Last night, the overreaction holy war swung completely the other way. It’s getting increasingly difficult to have a conversation about Rudy that is at once fair, honest and conclusive. I think that these past two Jekyl-and-Hyde games only go to perpetuate those story lines. But yelling that he’s amazing and clutch, or terrible and needs to be run out of town is neither helpful nor accurate for either side. It’s REALLY important to understand that the relentlessness and weight of the criticism of Rudy Gay is because he can and should be a Superstar. Not because he’s terrible or garbage or whatever else you might read on twitter. He’s REALLY good, and capable of being great. He has all the tools. But he just so rarely puts them all together, which is frustrating. Especially when so much of what he needs to fix seems like simply choices he needs to make, rather than skills that he doesn’t have. So he’s graded on a completely different curve than everyone else. Maybe that’s unfair. But that’s how it goes. It’s not because of the contract for me; it’s because of the capabilities.

]]>http://www.raptorsrepublic.com/2013/11/14/give-us-your-tired-your-poor-your-huddled-masses/feed/262013-2014 Toronto Raptors: Great Team, or Greatest Team?http://www.raptorsrepublic.com/2013/10/23/2013-2014-toronto-raptors-great-team-or-greatest-team/
http://www.raptorsrepublic.com/2013/10/23/2013-2014-toronto-raptors-great-team-or-greatest-team/#commentsThu, 24 Oct 2013 02:23:16 +0000http://www.raptorsrepublic.com/?p=37828Raptors dominate Grizzlies. It's time to massively overreact!It’s difficult to know what the difference is between what you see in the preseason, and what you learn. You can see player-to-undoubtedly-be-released-in-January play a major role for his team, but you’d be foolish to over react to what you see (right everyone who vocalized a 2012 pre-season... Read more »

It’s difficult to know what the difference is between what you see in the preseason, and what you learn. You can see player-to-undoubtedly-be-released-in-January play a major role for his team, but you’d be foolish to over react to what you see (right everyone who vocalized a 2012 pre-season opinion about Gerald Green?). You could see the Spurs have a losing record, but if you think that means you know that they’ve lost a step, you’re crazy. You could see the terrible Philadelphia 76ers get beat up every game and think you know THAT OH MY GOD THE SIXERS ARE THE WORST TANK JOB OF A TEAM EVER! EVEN THE CHARLOTTE HORBOBNETCATS BLEW THEM OUT! You see what I’m getting at? It’s interesting to watch, it’s awesome to have the NBA (almost) back and there are some highlights and insights to be had. But mostly, it’s just irresistible temptation for over-reaction theatre. Let’s embrace this and have a little fun with it. What follows is a combination of what happened, what we can maybe learn from that, and unmitigated overreaction.

30 seconds in to the game:

Jonas Valanciunas is a full-fledged physical beast. Big Val opens the game looking like he can physically hold his own down low against the likes of Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol. That is no small feat. Having said that, he is very much still learning weak side defensive rotations the hard way.

The defensive plan looks to be for Lowry and the wings to duck under screens. Whether this is because Memphis can’t shoot or by design, we will see. Raps seem ok with giving up the deep shot.

Rudy Gay still dribbles WAY too high. Combine Rudy’s turnover-prone high dribbling, Marc Gasol’s no-jump jump-shot, Tony Allen’s ‘even I know this is a bad idea for me to shoot it’ offensive confidence along with Mike Miller’s haircut and you’re looking at the fundamentals of my pickup game.

Best way to sum up the focus and intensity of the first 6 minutes of the game: Amir Johnson corner three air ball.

Jonas has a new offseason tat hiding beneath his jersey on his right shoulder. Does anyone else see this as a genuine sign of development in his NBA game? Or is that a preposterous notion? Just me then? Cool.

9 minutes in to the game: ANOTHER AMIR JOHNSON 3 POINT ATTEMPT?! WHAT IS HE THINKING?! DOES HE NO LONGER WANT THE ADORATION OF THE NBA ANALYTICS NERD COMMUNITY? I DON’T UNDERSTAND!

I’m still trying to come to terms with cheering for Tyler Hansbrough. Amir Johnson offensive rebound put-backs help. The analytics nerd community just texted me and said that we’re still cool with Amir. Thank god.

The Raptors fast break and pacing potential is exciting. Everyone on this team can run, and while the bench isn’t exactly elite, they’ve got a lot of change of pace potential with enough bodies to give 4 starters a rest at a time. That wasn’t the case last year.

Landry Fields is a cutting to the basket savant. I don’t know who taught him this skill, but there is some unknown summer basketball camp coach in Southern California out there who is clearly the Mr. Miyagi of cutting to the basket.

Terrence Ross is playing with confidence and comfort. This has been a great pre-season for him. I don’t think that this is a case of him suddenly improve his game exponentially over the summer. It looks more like he’s just finally able to access what he already had now that he’s replaced hesitance, nerves and doubt with confidence. Also, it’s the preseason, but still.

I would like to see Zach Lowe’s bold prediction that DeMar DeRozan gets traded, and raise him a bold prediction that DeMar finishes the season in the top 5 for free throws attempted per game.

LANDRY FIELDS DRIVES AND SLAMS THROUGH TRAFFIC!! WE NEED TO BE PAYING LANDRY FIELDS EVEN MORE MONEY!!

DJ Augustin just missed a wide-open pull-up 3 in transition. Wait, DJ Augustin is on the Raptors? How did this happen? Who allowed this? I suddenly have no faith in Masai Ujiri! THIS IS THE WORST BENCH OF ALL TIME.

Kyle Lowry looks much more comfortable being an actual point guard this season. While we’re talking about overreacting to things, let’s keep in mind when losing perspective on last season that Kyle Lowry is capable of being a top-ten point guard in the NBA. He talked about needing to change his attitude and embrace his role with the team at the end of last season. I believed him then and his play is showing it now. Buy stock in 2013-2014 Kylie Lowry.

There was a sequence with a minute left in the first half where Rudy Gay chased down a fast break for a Lebronesque block from behind that turned in to a quick DeMar basket. Liking what he saw, Kyle Lowry made a dirty block on Jared Bayless on the very next play, leading to a quick three from Gay. This Raptors squad has as much explosive athletic potential as any team in the league.

RAPTORS HOLD THE GRIZZLIES TO 27 FIRST HALF POINTS, ARE CLEARLY THE BEST DEFENSIVE TEAM OF ALL-TIME!!! Wait, what if I’m missing the point and this really means that the Memphis Grizzlies are the worst offensive team of all time? I WILL GET BACK TO YOU ON WHETHER OR NOT THE RAPS ARE THE GREATEST DEFENSIVE TEAM OF ALL TIME, DON’T NECESSARILY WANT TO OVERREACT.

I missed the first half of the third quarter, because I live in Canada and of course a mid-October snowstorm temporarily knocked my satellite signal out. My signal came back just in time to show Z-Bo getting booted out of the game for a flagrant foul. Of course I missed it and they’re already done showing the replays, because god hates me and there is purpose to life. Good thing I’m not writing about this game or anything, otherwise that would have been a major annoyance.

Aaron Gray is back on the court and back in our lives! And dare I say playing a meaningful part in the 2nd unit pick and roll game too? Do you think you could make it around an Aaron Gray pick before your man made it to the basket? I’m going to say no. There should be a game show where contestants try to guard a wing player while Aaron Gray sets high screens against you that you have to try and fight around. It would be like that early 90’s ‘Where in the World is Carmen San Diego?’ game show where nobody could ever win. On second thought, that sounds like a really terrible show. Let’s move on.

I’m getting the impression that the Quincy Acy: small forward project is going to be fun this year. I genuinely enjoy cheering for second round picks, great beards and good attitudes. If you don’t like Quincy Acy, you need a hug.

AUSTIN DAYE GETS BUCKETS.

Austin Daye is 10 inches taller than me but somehow only 30 lbs. heavier. I’m a skinny dude. So either every inch of height somehow only works out to 3 lbs. of body mass, or Austin Daye is a crazy skinny dude. Matt Devlin and Sherman Hamilton talked about how Daye needs to put on weight and develop an “NBA body”. But isn’t that what everybody is doing? Find me a pre-season interview-based article about any NBA player that doesn’t mention how ‘player x’ “put on 15 pounds of pure muscle in the offseason.” That’s what everybody else is doing. But if everybody else is doing it, then where is the advantage? If you want to stay ahead of the curve, you have to zig when everyone else zags, right? Maybe Austin Daye hooked up with the Billy Beane of personal trainers and now he’s outsmarting us all. What if skinny Austin Daye is the new market inefficiency? Ask yourself that question.

I’ve seen three different guys audition for the backup point guard role now, and I still don’t have any idea who it’s going to be. I don’t think that I’m alone in this.

It’s easy to forget that while a lot of guys don’t even get close to putting up a 75% effort level in these preseason games, there are a handful of guys on each team who are literally giving everything they have just to try and get a job. That’s an incredible amount of pressure for someone to try and perform under, and I can appreciate how big of a moment these pre-season games are for guys trying to earn a spot on the end of the bench, make a dream come true or maybe just not be unemployed. So while I kid about the pre-season, those guys deserve applause.

Toronto wins, 108-72!

I see you there, 8th place Eastern Conference playoff seed, I see you.

So, in all seriousness, what can we look back at this game and know that we’ve learned? Do we know who this team is and where they stand in the Eastern Conference? Is Valanciunas ready to make the leap? Have Rudy Gay and DeMar DeRozan upgraded and adapted their games to fit together and play efficiently? Will Terrence Ross be a meaningful NBA player? I think that, when asking these kinds of question from a game like this, we consider what Coach Dwayne Casey had to say in his postgame press conference. “As meaningless as these games are, you still can have a chance to work on some things.” Well then, maybe all we can confidently say that we know then is that this is an improving team with a lot of potential but who still has a lot of work to do and way to go, so temper your expectations accordingly. Having said that, THE 2013 TORONTO RAPTORS JUST MIGHT BE THE GREATEST DEFENSIVE TEAM OF ALL TIME!!!

Bargnani: 27 field goal attempts! It was like he was hoping for a volume discount. I know having Gasol on you makes you want to get rid of the ball quickly, but man…

Bayless: no Jose meant this was his ship tonight. Some frustrating brain farts through the game, but his fire kept us in it. From jawing with the Grizz bench to getting into the face of his teammates, he was the face of the team.

Calderon: suck it up and get out there. Your team needs you.

Davis: 5 blocks and 3 of them were almost sexual. Thabeet has length, but Ed has length AND he plays. Not a game to write home about statistically, but he left his mark in the form of swats.

DeRozan: 25pts, 9 rebounds…meh, just another day at the office. He hasn’t been given the crown of being Prince, but he has stepped up and grabbed it with both hands. Proof that extra work gives you what you deserve.

Dorsey: gimpier than Arsenalist running an online chat between ManU and Chelsea fans.

Evans: running out of suits and dress shoes.

Gaines: held his own on an off night. I’m probably expecting too much, but I still think he has the ability to be an x-factor in some games for us. Teams play off him and he needs to capitalize.

Johnson: fouls haunted him, but his game was solid. I know Weems is “back” but I really really like the Young Onez as a duet.

Kleiza: Miami Vice.

Weems: his comeback is as welcomed in these parts as the news Halle Berry is really a guy.

Wright: just shy of a double double, but overshot the mark of what was expected. Great game but those missed free throws sure hurt.

The “playing the role of Hawkeye in tonights performance is……” edition:

Alabi: when Joey Dorsey starts and you still get a DNP-CD, you have to re-evaluate your life.

Barbosa: there are off shooting nights, then there are Barbosa-In-Memphis type shooting nights. I’m pretty sure when he tossed his gum at the end of the night it ended up stuck to the wall.

Bargnani: back in Toronto probably at Real Sports watching MNF.

Bayless: at least he wasn’t throwing up this time, but the effort he did give was poorer than Tiny Tim’s family. He looked out of sorts and unsure of how to get his team involved and together. Not good when you are the backup quarterback.

Calderon: an average Jose-type game tonight. Turnovers are still a bit high for him (4) but he did try and stir the pot a bit and get his guys going. But with few hot hands to feed, it wasn’t in the cards.

Davis: I’m concerned he is pulling a DeMar. He’s blending into the background a bit too much. He has to realize he has the ability to change the game for the second unit and bring that to the surface. Become that intimidating factor in the lane. Right now he is no more than a sticky turnstile.

DeRozan: rest did him good and I guess the money from that commercial will buy him some groovy 3D glasses for his television. Give me this effort 3 out of every 5 games and I’ll be beside myself. Good game, strong presence and very alert.

Dorsey: no complaints here. Came in and Dwight Howard’d his ass off. A double double from a guy who rarely sees the floor and is playing with guys that should be embarrassed at their own efforts after seeing Joey play.

Dupree: Merry Christmas.

Evans: up walking around now, which is a positive sign. Need him back to the form he showed early this season and soon, otherwise the playoffs will be out of reach by the break.

Johnson: he’s hurting, but not as much as it hurts watching him play the game of basketball lately. Credit for going out there knowing the rest of the team is hurting, but he’s about as helpful as a tour guide with no sense of direction.

Kleiza: turnovers hurt but the man has never seen a shooting opportunity he doesn’t like. He must go nutso at Pop-A-Shot. Overall a good game from Linas who, unfortunately, has to be a leader right now. Save us.

Stojakovic: second opinion? How’s this: you don’t wear jeans well.

Weems: still a no-go. Shame, really. Okay, not really. He’s useless when healthy.

Wright: As the Grizzlies were running drills on us in the 2nd and 3rd, why not throw in Wright to see if he could stop the surge? It would make sense? Right. Got it.

]]>http://www.raptorsrepublic.com/2010/12/28/toronto-raptors-roll-call-vs-grizzlies-dec-27/feed/19Gameday: Raptors vs Magic – Nov. 1/09http://www.raptorsrepublic.com/2009/11/01/gameday-raptors-vs-magic-nov-109/
http://www.raptorsrepublic.com/2009/11/01/gameday-raptors-vs-magic-nov-109/#commentsSun, 01 Nov 2009 07:25:47 +0000http://raptorsrepublic.com/?p=11935Wow, Friday against the Grizz didn’t work out at all. The Raptors looked like…the Raptors. They were getting burned from the perimeter, interior defense was suspect, team rebounding was non-existent, they weren’t sharing the ball, and weren’t hitting their shots. Perfect storm. Today, the Magic roll into town, and the unspoken rivalry is born again.... Read more »

Wow, Friday against the Grizz didn’t work out at all. The Raptors looked like…the Raptors. They were getting burned from the perimeter, interior defense was suspect, team rebounding was non-existent, they weren’t sharing the ball, and weren’t hitting their shots. Perfect storm. Today, the Magic roll into town, and the unspoken rivalry is born again.

The advantage the Raptors had on opening night, quickness and conditioning, was a non-factor against the Grizzlies who have a young, athletic team. Bargnani was able to take Shaq/Big Z off the hop, but Gasol and Z-Bo were able to counter, and in some instances, nullify the Raptors front court. As big a night as Bosh had (37pts 12rebs), Randolph countered with a 30pt 7reb monster of his own.

I think they just had a little bit better conditioning than the Cavaliers.They were coming up a lot harder, their fast-break. I don’t think Cleveland did a very good job at fastbreaking against us and that put a lot of pressure on us.

That doesn’t sit right with me. We beat an Eastern Elite, and fell asleep behind the wheel playing a young – up ‘n coming one? One that draftee Thabeet 2nd overall? We didn’t know that a young team with some of the best young wings (Gay, Mayo, Carroll) wasn’t going to push and attack?

Orlando has come out the gates like a team that belonged in the Finals; sans Rashard Lewis. They have convincingly won their first two against Philly and Jersey by an average of 12pts. Howard has been a monster, averaging 20.5pts 18.5rebs. Yea, he has grabbed 37 rebounds in the first two games of the year. That’s ridiculous.

I wandered over to Orlando Magic Daily to see what our TrueHoop brethren had to say about their recent game against the Nets:

It’s not a win the Magic will look back on — surely, it’s one of those wins where you forget about it on the plane ride home — but it’s the type of win an elite team is supposed to win. It was ugly, but it gives you confidence knowing the Magic can take care of a team when they didn’t shoot well and were missing two key starters.

The tone in the things being said is jarring for me. Against the Cavs, the Raptors were able to withstand a run by an elite team while they wore down. Against the Grizz, they couldn’t. Athleticism and conditioning seem to be an issue for our guys. The Magic on the other hand were able to win ugly while missing two starters. The Magic are an athletic team. With Carter expected to come off the bench, the starting 5 will be tough to deal with.

Match-ups

Calderon vs Nelson
All I can think about is Swirsky saying that Calderon will own Nelson in those playoffs, and that backfiring. Nelson straight up owns Calderon. He is a tough cover: strong, quick, a bulldog. He had an off-game against Harris, so I am sure he will rebound.The Edge: Magic

DeRozan vs Reddick
With SVG saying he wont be surprised if JJ starts, chances are good VC is coming off the bench if at all. Reddick is Mr. Fundamental. Bit of a disappointment after a solid college career, but he is carving out a niche for himself. I can see it now: DeRozan will be sent to Howard in the low post; the ball gets kicked out to Reddick who nails an open trey or swing it around the perimeter for somebody to nail an open shot. Kid Dynamite has been playing great so far. He should give Reddick fits chasing him around the court, but I suspect being the one sent to double Howard wont bode well for the kid.The Edge: Magic

Turkoglu vs Pietrus
It upsets me that the Magic got Pietrus so cheap (5yr/$25mill-ish). I was pleading for the Raptors to sign him, as he brought all the things we needed (at the time) need: defense, take his man off the bounce, slashes to the rim, rebounds and hit some shots, but alas, we got HO…Turkoglu has been playing pretty decently. Dropping 13 a game, grabbing 4.5, but not the playmaker we had hoped (2ast). I was ripped for saying his matchup with Gay would be even (a draw would be a generous assessment of what went down Friday), but I’m saying it will be a draw this time around. Pietrus will be the beneficiary of some open space created by Howard in the post, but will have a hard time covering Turk in the paint on offense. This will be an even match, book it.The Edge: Even

Bosh vs Anderson
Bosh has been a beast the first couple games. You have to figure that having him score 37 is bad for the team. 20-25 is the perfect range, where he is producing, but not at the expense of a fluid offense. Anderson, whom our very own PHD Steve said was NOT to be slept on this season, has been proving just that. He was a throw in as part of the Carter trade, but the kid can play, and is starting ahead of Brandon Bass, who was looked at as the starting PF when they snatched him from the Mavs in the summer. Just don’t see Bosh slowing down against this team, not even after a night of partying with Jay-Z.The Edge: Raptors

Bargnani vs Howard
LOL, doesn’t look good for Bargnani at all. Forget the playing defense on Howard, but keeping him off the boards. Howard should have zero problems cleaning up the boards given VL’s lack of rebounding/boxing out grit. Seeing the trouble Andrea had with Gasol, I cringe to think about the possible 40/20 Howard can drop on our boy.The Edge: Magic

Injury Report

Raptors
Reggie Evans
Sonny Weems

Magic
Rashard Lewis
Vince Carter*
Adonal Foyle

Simulation

The Raptors couldn’t handle an Orlando team that was missing Vince Carter and Rashard Lewis, falling 96-91 Sunday at the ACC. Chris Bosh had 29 points and a career-high 23 boards, but had trouble handling Dwight Howard, who had 28 and 13 of his own.

Aside from Bosh, the only Raptor in double digits was Hedo Turkoglu, who had 17 in his first game against his former team. Like Bosh, Andrea Bargnani had his hands full with Howard and was limited to just 17 minutes, picking up five fouls and scoring just five points in the process. Jose Calderon had eight points and six assists.

Howard was one of five Orlando players in double digits — Matt Barnes, starting in place of Carter, had 16, while Jameer Nelson had 15 and Michael Pietrus and Brandon Bass added 10 apiece.

Surprisingly, Toronto out-rebounded Orlando and had almost three times as many trips to the free throw line, but it wasn’t enough to come out with a win.

Keys to Winning

Bargnani should never rotate on defense, stay with Howard at all times

Let Jason Williams shoot as many transition-pull-up threes as he wants, seriously

Prediction

This has the makings of a solid game: The Raptors are reeling from a tough loss on the road to a team they shouldn’t have lost too; The Magic are 2-0 to start the season, and looking to secure home-court throughout the playoffs aka they will be coming hard and fast. As much as I would like to think that the Raptors will avenge their Friday loss, they wont (unless Bargnani duplicates his effort form the home opener, which you will excuse me if I don’t hold my breath for). Magic by 6.